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How is it already autumn!? Summer definitely flashed by way too quickly. My co-worker was recently telling me that he likes to think of the year like a pizza (with 6 slices) with one slice being eaten so far. Five slices to go for the year, which is just how many books I have on my reading list (what a way to segue into this blog post topic haha).

These books have been on my radar for a while now so I thought I would share them on the blog. Admittedly, I haven’t really read many books in the past couple of years (do uni textbooks count?) but after reading reviews of these books, I know that I just have to make the time to get around to reading them. Anyway, so without further ado, here is my list of books that have caught my eye recently:

1. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

2. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

3. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

4. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

5. Self-help by Lorrie Moore

Let me know if you have read any of these books and how you found them as well as if you have any other books that you think that I should add to my reading list - catherine x

Happy New Year!! Another year has passed and we are now truly in 2018. I started off the year travelling around the beautiful New Zealand and have only just arrived back in Sydney last weekend. In terms of the coming year, it will definitely be a year of change as I start work after finishing my degree so I am not quite sure what to expect of the year as of yet. On the blog side of things though, my plan is to keep this blog updated a bit more consistently (last year had a grand total of 6 posts...).

At the end of the year, I always like to check out my #2017bestnine according to instagram and I thought that this time round, I would share them on my blog. Above is from my account @coco.grace and below is from my account, @cafeswithcath, which I started posting more regularly on last year to document my cafe adventures.

This year, I'm thinking that I might shake up my coco.grace account a bit so that it is a little less pastel focused (and therefore less restrictive in the type of images I post). I'm hoping that this will help me to stop worrying so much about how all the images fit in together and allow me to just post the images more immediately after the event has actually happened.

Anyway, enough about instagram plans, here's to a wonderful new year! I'm looking forward to seeing what 2018 brings - what are you looking forward to in the new year?

I was scrolling through some pictures on my phone and I realised that there were a few pretty pictures that I thought I would share on the blog and give a bit of an update of what I have been up to.

The start of spring is always marked by our neighbour's magnolia tree flowering above our driveway (above pic). It is so gorgeous but the fallen petals are incredibly slippery on the ground (not a lesson to be learned the hard way!).

It was my birthday recently so our home has been filled with flowers. Aren't they beautiful!!

I'd seen Donut Papi's donuts on instagram a bit and when I saw that they were having a pop-up at uni the other day, I knew I had to try one myself. This pandan filled one was delicious and quite large so I ended up sharing it with my family.

I've also been able to try out a few new cafes recently: Cafe Oratnek in Redfern (great if you are into matcha since matcha has really been incorporated into their menu), John Smith cafe in Waterloo which had the most refreshing orange-rose soda (I am planning to try and recreate it myself this summer) and Flower Child in Chatswood (below).

I've also spent some time in the kitchen. I made these pumpkin and choc chip pancakes which look alright but didn't turn out as fluffy as I expected. I might need to tinker with the recipe a bit before giving it another go. I've also been obsessed with this tomato, hummus and basil combination on sourdough (with a bit of olive oil, balsamic and cracked pepper as well).

Anyway, that's all the pictures I have to share today. What are some cool things that you have been into recently? As always, thanks for reading - catherine x

Hello spring!! I can't believe it is actually spring now, the year has gone so quickly... but I'm not complaining since spring is my favourite season with the weather starting to become a little warmer and the flowers beginning to bloom. Recently, I've been doing a little bit of online browsing/ shopping recently so I thought I would do a little round up of my favourite finds.

Let's jump right into it! (links are on item names)Kimchi Blue Lilac Embroidered Sheer Short Sleeve Tee: How gorgeous are these floral embroidered mesh tees! The beige version is so pretty and delicate, perfect for daytime whereas the black version is a bit edgier. Both look great tucked into jeans (I would probably wear a cami underneath though) and I imagine they would also look cute under slip dresses as well.

Amigo Circle Bag- Seashell: So cute and inside the bag, there's a little embroidered patch that says: 'pink skies up ahead' <3Luxe Round Side Table: This item is a little different from the rest of the items on this list but this marble and gold side table is SO pretty, I couldn't resist sharing! It would definitely be in my dream house.

Since we've been on uni holidays over the past few weeks, a group of friends and I thought we would use this extra time to explore a bit further out of the city and go fruit picking. After a bit of researching online, we decided to visit Anderson Farm. Located by the Hawkesbury River in Sackville, Anderson Farm grows Emperor, Imperial and Hickson Mandarins as well as Washington Navel and Seville Oranges.

So on an early Tuesday morning, seven of us packed into two cars and after an hour and a bit of driving, we had arrived. Entry is $5 for adults, where you can pick and try as many mandarins and oranges as you like, working out which trees bear the sweetest fruit. If you would like to take any mandarins or oranges home with you, a bucket of fruit is $10.

After a quick demonstration on how to pick the fruit, we were left to explore and wander through the seemingly endless lines of mandarin and orange trees.

The whole orchard felt so peaceful and we felt like the only ones there despite seeing quite a few cars parked outside the orchard when we left.

Cute cows in a neighbouring paddock.

I would definitely recommend visiting Anderson Farm if you have a bit of time on your hands to drive out there (just make sure that the mandarins and oranges are in season before you go). It's well worth it!Anderson Farm: 968 Sackville Ferry Road, Sackville North NSW 2756.

Over my many trips to the Port Stephens area, I have slowly been trying out the different cafes and restaurants around and have decided to do a roundup of some of my all time favourite places to eat in the area.

So let's get started!!

First up is Nice Cafe: We actually found out about this cafe because of some good food reviews online and they were so right. The food is great! Try the pancakes or toasted sandwiches. Really delicious!

The Home Interior: Another great find in Nelson Bay. This cafe is a cross between a homewares and coffee shop which I love since after having your coffee or meal, you can have a browse around upstairs and have a look at the homewares. The first picture in this post was also from when we visited The Home Interior - they've got a nice selection of cakes, so perfect for a morning or afternoon stop-off.

Now - onto the restaurants:Sandpipers: Located in the heart of Nelson Bay, this restaurant is great for a lovely dinner. And of course it has all the brownie points with that dessert above (sorry haha).

Little Beach Boathouse(not pictured): Overlooking Little Beach, this restaurant and bar has an excellent location and great food as well. It's a little more casual than Sandpipers. We went there for dinner so we didn't get the benefit of the view that much so try lunch to really appreciate that view!

And that's it for my roundup of favourite restaurants in the Port Stephens area. Hope you enjoyed it and let me know if you have any favourite places around the area as I would love to try them out sometime. - catherine x

Today, I'm sharing a few photos from a quick trip away to Shoal Bay late last year. Shoal Bay has quickly become a favourite destination for us to escape the busyness of life and the city. It is located in Port Stephens and is roughly a 3 hour drive up from Sydney.

We stayed at the Ramada Resort in Shoal Bay as usual. It has a great location since the beach is right across the road from the hotel so it is pretty easy to pop down to the beach as you please. You can also rent a paddleboard / kayak nearby to explore the bay. I always try to make sure that I have time for a quick paddleboarding session since it is so enjoyable and you also get a bit of exercise in. The hotel also has a nice kid-friendly pool with a fountain as well as an indoor lap pool / spa. It is a short drive away from Nelson's Bay which has more shops, restaurants and cafes.

Unfortunately, we didn't take as many pictures as I thought but here are a couple of photos if you'd like to see:

Apologies for the blurry photo - when I downloaded the photo from my camera to the computer, the image looked quite dull so this is a picture of my camera display screen since the colours looked much nicer and like real life but it is just so blurry and grainy. I tried editing the clear but dull photo but I couldn't seem to replicate the colours in this photo. *sigh* There's still a lot for me to learn in terms of photography...

If you look closely, you can see the moon just on top of the mountain :)

And that's it for my Shoal Bay photos. Stay tuned for some cafe / food recommendations around the Port Stephens area - catherine x

After neglecting this blog for a little too long (seriously though, this is my first post of 2017 and it is nearly February), I've finally sat down on a Sunday afternoon to share some holiday photos that I took on a family trip away to Salamander Bay last September.

Shoal Bay is usually our go-to destination for a little getaway but since we planned this holiday a little late, we ended up staying in Salamander Bay, a few suburbs away from our usual spot. However, we have since been back to the area, staying in Shoal Bay and photos from that trip will be coming soon on the blog (hopefully!) as well as a short food guide to the area. But for now, here are some photos from this trip to Salamander Bay if you'd like to see:

Even though we stayed in Salamander Bay, we spent most of the time around Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay. Nelson Bay has more shops and food options whereas Shoal Bay is pretty picturesque. The whole place becomes insanely beautiful around sunset though and golden hour is extra magical.

We stayed at the Oaks Pacific Blue Resort which has this amazing pool/ lagoon feature that goes around the whole resort, with little apartments on both sides of the lagoon. The picture below was taken from our apartment balcony and hopefully will give you a better idea of what it was like since it is a bit difficult to explain unless you actually see it.

You can swim around the whole lagoon if you want but when we tried, it was a bit too cold (because it was still a little cold around that time of the year but in summer, this would be perfect) so we opted to go to the heated lap pool instead.

In terms of activities, it wouldn't be right without a good old trip to the beach (or many trips) and even a bit of paddleboarding if you are up for it. There is usually a place to hire them out around and it is so much fun and good exercise. You can also climb Mt Tomaree if that's your jam. The views are pretty spectacular and you have a great view of the whole area so you can have a little look at the places in the area that you want to explore next. Would definitely recommend if you have time.

Shoal Bay wharf is just my favourite. You'll find people fishing, strolling around and enjoying the view. I've also seen people jumping off the edge into the water but I've never been daring enough to try!

These little flowers are growing along the beach. So pretty!!

And that's it for my photos from this trip away. Stay tuned for more holiday photos and posts to come!! As always, thanks so much for reading - catherine x

Merry Christmas!! Hope you have a wonderful break, filled with much joy, love and laughter (+ a lot of food!) and spent with your family, friends and loved ones. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my little space on the internet. Sending lots of love <3 - catherine xx

About Me

Catherine coco grace

Hi! I'm Catherine and welcome to my little space on the internet where I share some of the things that I love and are inspired by as well as document bits and pieces of my life and adventures // based in sydney Read More